*Photograph: Joe Buckley
A CLARE TD has described Traveller feuds in the county as “Godfather-esque”.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Cathal Crowe TD (FF) detailed the “very serious issue” posed by “feuding factions” within the county.
Deputy Crowe referenced an incident which occurred at a retail outlet in close proximity to “a fabulous family event” held during the month of August.
He stated, “A feuding faction entered a shop and there was a major incident where there were young kids and families present shopping, buying treats for the nearby family event. There were weapons brought in and when there is such an incident, we see people fuelled with venomous rage. They don’t care who is around them and they are oblivious to the families present and they are intent on causing damage and killing someone in that moment. It is very serious”.
Meelick native Crowe described the actions as “Godfather-esque in the determination to do whatever it takes to take out their enemy”. The former Mayor of Clare claimed that similar incidents are happening “very often” and are not occurring “in an isolated way”.
He added, “I hope that the particular investigation is going well, when we encounter those cases the book should be thrown at them when it happens in a very public domain”.
Calls for a special operation to deal with the “unwelcome rise of Traveller feuds in the county” was suggested by Joe Carey TD (FG). He referenced the same incident as Deputy Crowe and labelled it “criminal behaviour at its worst”.
Fights are “happening at all hours of the night, it is having a detrimental impact on the communities who are innocent bystanders,” Deputy Carey commented. He listed the use of consaws and slash hooks in such activities and said it is resulting in broken windows and fighting openly on the streets. “We need to treat this very seriously, we need a special operation to stamp out this unwelcome activity, the fear is it will spill out to the wider community”.
Chief Superintendent of the Clare Garda Division, Seán Colleran acknowledged that feuds were “a hugely emotive issue” but insisted, “we’re affording it the necessary resources”. He told the JPC meeting that “significant investigations” were ongoing in the county surrounding feuds, “there are a significant amount of people already before the courts”.
He said there will always be a delay from the incidents to the outcome in the courts. “We are taking a very targeted approach to the multiple incidents of criminality throughout the whole county and are we are taking a very pro-active approach”.
Last year, Deputy Crowe raised the issue of illegal encampments with the Clare JPC as he criticised the manner in which 5km restrictions in place during the lockdown were broken by persons setting up illegal encampments. The ensuing debate prompted Cllr John Crowe (FG) to call for the post of Minister for Travellers to be established within the Government.
